Garage Day 11 February 2026
Back in Sanford today, and the foreseeable future?? The 1990 Plus 8 in DeLand is finished(?). Well, not really! John needs to bleed the clutch hydraulics and perhaps adjust the clutch linkage. He is still experiencing some issues. Shifting, not shifting? That and an oil leak!! Now that’s an odd thing??
The brain trust believed that bleeding the clutch is the right first step. I know it’s gotta feel a bit different in terms of behavior. I guess that’s to be expected after the car has been dormant for a good while, had the transmission rebuilt, and a bunch of assorted new parts! Not to mention a good measure of Vaseline!
It is getting warmer!! Good!! I guess the cold snap snapped, and it’s all over?? At least I hope so! The linen closets have mostly been removed from the neighborhood yards. Dare I say, driving around now is a little boring! I was enjoying that occasional spot of color in the yards!! (Some folks, however, do have a terrible sense of color . . . no wonder those linens/towels/whatever were relegated to the shrubbery . . .) Now I have to replace a few dead plants with new ones of the varieties that didn’t die! Sorry, it’s my strategy. Soon I will have nothing that dies . . . expect perhaps me??
Nothing monumental on the to-do list today! A TR6 starter motor that needed to be installed (took all day??). The headlights on the MGB had to have their alignment checked. (I have this old Morgan factory photo showing a chalk board with two circles (?) used for aligning headlights. Don’t worry!! We used something a bit more modern today!! and Bob had a whining rear end. Or was it the car’s rear end?? Ok, so no bad jokes about the rear end thing!! I hear whining rear ends are quite common? Why? Not going there!!
The Winter Olympics started early. I thought they’d begin on Friday of last week, but I was wrong. I was already watching some enthralling (?) competitions while drinking my morning coffee on Thursday morning?? Curling, Women’s Ice Hockey, and then Snowboarding were all scheduled a day before the Friday Opening Ceremony. (And probably other things I missed!!) I guess they’ve gotten too many countries, too many events, etc., to get it all in during the allotted time, and the media is right there, more than willing to televise it all, whenever it is scheduled!! Wait a minute . . . who knew curling could be so dramatic?? And did you know Orlando has a Curling Club and they have watch parties at the ‘Wops Hops’ Brew Pub in Sanford? Should we go there and watch??
Say what you will, you just have to feel for the kids . . . their dedication to their sport, their work ethic, determination, perseverance, and their obvious elation when they wear that national team jersey!! No matter what nation they are playing for!! I have to believe it’s exceptionally special for them all and it will likely stay with them their entire lives!!
Lunch today was at Ace Café. The food is just so so. Prices a bit high for what you get, but it’s appropriate that we frequent the place occasionally, as they support our annual car show. I am also thinking that they may be more appropriate for Jimmy Buffett Day music. The place we used last year was limited by city noise ordinances (supposedly) and didn’t offer much in the way of Jimmy Buffett music. Oh well, variety is good for us!!
There were lots of tools in use today. No, of course, we didn’t use the chalkboard for the headlights – I don’t think I even have a chalkboard? I’m not even sure we used tape? (Another archaic method of adjusting headlights. Appropriate for these archaic old cars!!) I know I have tape though. Lots of tape! Sticky tape!! Open end ratcheting wrenches. Open end non-ratcheting (I guess that would be standard?) wrenches. We used ratchets and sockets, as well as the occasional ratchet extension. Lots of bitching about bolt access, and suggestions as to what the idiots that designed the things could do . . ..We used screwdrivers of all sorts. (Both Plus and Minus) As well as the ‘Users’ Manual for the Garmin backup camera. Flashlights. Lithium battery charger, blinking lights and whatnot.
And we kept the garage relatively clean today. Not that it started out all that clean!! The floor is disgusting and needs a good going over. Sweeping, mopping, vacuuming! That and things need to be put away. It’s one big cluttered, tripping hazard!! I worry sometimes about the potential for a slip and fall!! (Just call Morgan & Morgan?) and just hope we don’t experience anything too dramatic??
Bob Martin brought donuts today. Frozen donuts all the way from Antarctica? Penguin donuts?? Oh boy!! I wonder, how it all works in Antarctica?? Do the donuts float around clockwise or counter-clockwise? (Or as the Brits would say anti-clockwise!!) Are the holes formed the same way, above and below the equator?? Didn’t we learn something about that in school??
Next week (18 February), Jeff C. is on the hook for donuts!! And again, we’ll be back here in Sanford. Hope to see you here!!
Cheers, Mark Braunstein
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